So What's A Drip Edge Vibro Champ Worth?

jcss - I don't disagree at all about the sound quality of the particular speakers you mention. So I normally run better speakers if originals are simply lousy. But with vintage gear I hold onto them in case I sell it later, as even crappy original speakers - if missing - will devalue vintage amps, some to a greater degree than others.

I paid $325 for this about 3 years ago from the original owner. It was basically a closet queen. I added a Weber 8A125 and a 3 prong. I then sold it(foolishly) for $350 maybe more and then bought it back for $325. It's a killer little amp and all I need in a 5 watter. I'd think a drip edge Vibro Champ in better than good condition is a $400 amp minimum.

Hey JazzboxBlues, I just bought a Champ yesterday at GC identical to yours. (Drip edge, black line, which seems to be fairly rare. Yours being the only other one on the internet I've seen) I'm having a bit of buyers remorse and I was hoping you are still around to ask your opinion. Sorry, I know this thread is quite old, but maybe worth a shot. I paid $599 and think I must have over paid at least a hundred bucks or more. It was an impulse buy because someone had just unloaded their collection of about 15 Fender amps, different models, all supposedly from 1968. I was kind of mesmerized and had to have one of them. However, I've dated mine to 1969 through transformer and serial number. Anyway... It has the Jensen P8R replacement speaker, RCA tubes, 3 prong plug, etc... feel free to ask about anything else.

I'm thinking about taking it back and just tell them to mark it down or refund a $100 or take it back. BUT I really like it, so I don't "really" want to give it back. What is your or anyone else's here opinion??? Any feedback is greatly appreciated!!!

Seller isn't returning my emails. If nothing comes of it, I'll be armed for the next one, though.

Click to expand...

Again, the Vintage Guitar Price Guide (a new one is coming out in a couple of weeks) and eBay sold prices are your best guidelines. The amp market is in constant flux and staying on top of both "book" and current selling prices are your best guidelines as to a "fair" deal.

But many sellers (except on eBay and Reverb) don't look at either one. They ask a local music store (that may or may not have a Price Guide), some friends or just guess. IMO if you are dead-set on a specific amp model the best thing to do is find a nice example that fits to what you have predetermined as "fair market value" - and buy it.

If you wait for a "killer deal" it's likely you'll either wait a very long time and pay more (as prices continue to rise) or have to settle for an amp that's in less-than-ideal condition. Just find a good one that's a fair deal and buy it.

In the greater Nashville area ones on CL are generally listed at $500 - $600. Ones no drip are slightly less $50-100.

Click to expand...

So maybe I didn't get to bad of a deal? I got 0%/6 month financing... Not that I couldn't or wouldn't have paid cash. I see them on reverb though for $500 but they want $65-$100 for "shipping". And those don't seem to be selling very fast. Reverbs trending price chart shows about $500. Maybe it's worth what I paid considering I bought it in person and have 45 days to try it out with the option of returning it, and the financing I guess.

Again, the Vintage Guitar Price Guide (a new one is coming out in a couple of weeks) and eBay sold prices are your best guidelines. The amp market is in constant flux and staying on top of both "book" and current selling prices are your best guidelines as to a "fair" deal.

But many sellers (except on eBay and Reverb) don't look at either one. They ask a local music store (that may or may not have a Price Guide), some friends or just guess. IMO if you are dead-set on a specific amp model the best thing to do is find a nice example that fits to what you have predetermined as "fair market value" - and buy it.

If you wait for a "killer deal" it's likely you'll either wait a very long time and pay more (as prices continue to rise) or have to settle for an amp that's in less-than-ideal condition. Just find a good one that's a fair deal and buy it.

Click to expand...

Thats a good perspective! Thank you! I guess sometimes the "right amp" is worth more than a "killer deal".

Come to think of it, I've saved many 100$$$ on other gear, even recently. And some of those "killer deals" I don't even use. Funny how the thrill of the deal can cloud the reality. However, I still think I could walk back in GC and work out something in my favor or maybe I'll just let them have this one? I'm a salesman of over 30 years so it's in my blood not to over pay

That one is really clean from the looks of it. I have mid 70' champ and vibro champ i paid 3 apiece a couple years ago. I see on Reverb last week most were up around 500 unless they were dogs with misc knobs and missing a panel. I say enjoy it there cool little amps.

Vintage anything markets are funny. Take cars.
Pull a worthless for anything but racing 426 Hemi out of an old Mopar and replace it with a sweet running 289 Ford. And people get all POed and the resale value hits the toliet.
Even though the car is now a much better daily driver.

Click to expand...

I had to chuckle on that one, Bobby. I know of nobody who would pull a 426 Hemi out of a Mopar unless the car was wrecked. That engine is worth quite a few thousands of dollars. And....many Mopar hemi engines resided in everyday, drivable vehicles.
Collectible markets....no one except those who take part in that market need worry about what that market does....except for those who dip their toes I; that market without some knowledge of what moves that market...up and/or down. Pay that “excellent and original”price for a vintage amp or guitar that has changed parts and see what happens if and when you try to get your money out of it. It will bring your money back to you only if an unwitting buyer makes the same mistake. A changed speaker is a major hit on the value.....whether one agrees with the market or not. Same for transformers. It is the same as if a ‘52 Blackguard Tele had a replacement neck. The percentage of value losses is about the same, but the amount of dollars will vary according to the value of an unmolested example.
So, my advice is to learn as much as you can about the collectible market in which you want to invest money. Knowledge is power. Without some understanding of the details, one is at the mercy of unethical sellers.
And?.hey...sometimes sellers don’t know what they have. I recently informed a fellow who was selling a “1968” Princeton Reverb that what he had actually was a 1966. The person he bought it from told him it was a ‘68....despite the fact that it was a BF amp with 1966 codes on all trannies except the PT, which had been changed. The serial number dated the amp to 1966.
If a person wants to quickly learn some of the details with which one should be familiar IF they want to start buying vintage Fender amps, I would suggest they do a search for ‘Greg Gagliano Bibliography’ and copy the six articles entitled “Dating Fender Amps”. Fwiw, these articles are the source for the serial number charts, which did not exist until Gagliano, Huntington(RIP) and Reibe did that huge amount of work. Before that work was published, we dated Fender amps by the component date codes. That dating method is also still the only way to ascertain what it is that one is looking at. I don’t buy a vintage amp without pulling the chassis......just as it is very rare that I would buy a vintage Fender guitar without taking it apart. Inhave done that exactly one Ime....and it was so obvious that that 1953 Tele was the real deal as it sat on top of its collapsed case with Texas dust covering every part of it...in un0layable condition. That guitar is the best Tele I have ever had in my hands....and in Nacho’s words is a ‘tone monster guitar’.
In short....if one doesn’t believe in vintage collectible markets, one should not deal in them. Buy or build clones of these Fender amps. If one is going to deal in those markets, become informed and CYA.

Original Poster here! I did buy the '68 VC in the original post. CL seller was asking $600 and after negotiations, I bought it for $400. Spent about another $100 at the tech and bought a Weber 8125A to replace the original speaker, which had a small tear so $600 in the end. Not selling! I have this amp and a BFVR and this one gets 90% of my amp use. The VR sounds better, but since space is limited and they live in the closet, it's so much easier to grab the Champ.

If you like the amp and can afford it, keep it. You didn't get a screaming deal, but you didn't get hosed either.

Original Poster here! I did buy the '68 VC in the original post. CL seller was asking $600 and after negotiations, I bought it for $400. Spent about another $100 at the tech and bought a Weber 8125A to replace the original speaker, which had a small tear so $600 in the end. Not selling! I have this amp and a BFVR and this one gets 90% of my amp use. The VR sounds better, but since space is limited and they live in the closet, it's so much easier to grab the Champ.

If you like the amp and can afford it, keep it. You didn't get a screaming deal, but you didn't get hosed either.

Click to expand...

Isn't it funny that being able to literally "grab and go" makes a big difference?

Original Poster here! I did buy the '68 VC in the original post. CL seller was asking $600 and after negotiations, I bought it for $400. Spent about another $100 at the tech and bought a Weber 8125A to replace the original speaker, which had a small tear so $600 in the end. Not selling! I have this amp and a BFVR and this one gets 90% of my amp use. The VR sounds better, but since space is limited and they live in the closet, it's so much easier to grab the Champ.

If you like the amp and can afford it, keep it. You didn't get a screaming deal, but you didn't get hosed either.

Click to expand...

Well my amp has a Jensen P8R (about $100) and assuming it doesn't need a trip to the tech yet, I guess I didn't do to bad? It sounds amazing and I'm really getting attached to it.

I ended up running down to my local GC today and was going to ask one of the guys in there I trust what he thought. (I bought mine at another GC farther away) Well he wasn't there so I started looking around and saw a 1973 Vibro Champ for sale, $499. It was not even close to as good of condition as mine. I thought to myself if that one and mine were side by side, would I pay $100 more for the one I got? Yep, I think so!

I'm going to just keep playing and enjoy it. And if within the next 40 or so days I change my mind, I'll just take it back. But as of right now I don't see that happening. This little amp is awesome, it even smells awesome, like 1969!

I'm going to just keep playing and enjoy it. And if within the next 40 or so days I change my mind, I'll just take it back. But as of right now I don't see that happening. This little amp is awesome, it even smells awesome, like 1969!

I believe that Guitar Center's return policy on Vintage gear is only 3 days. You may want to double check.

Click to expand...

Huh? (Scratching head) Online it does say "vintage instruments" 3 days. Well I'm probably not returning it anyway but I'd sure argue it if they tried not to honor 45 days. The GC I got it from is very small and those guys know me and know I justified getting it on the "45 day return policy".

Just for the heck of it, here's a pic of the amp collection that was there. One guys Collection of what he thought were all the models of amps Fender made in 1968. (Mine is little one far right, that is a 1969 model) He brought them all in Sunday to sell to GC. He only had one guitar, a Fender Bronco with one slant single coil in the bridge. He sold that to them too...

Guy I play with is interested in my drip edge VC, looking for something lighter than his two Mark Vs. (I think a Twin Reverb would meet that requirement)
I'm going to grab it from the store today for him to mess with. But I really don't think a guy used to all those knobs and switches is going to like something like a Vibro Champ. We'll see.

Those of you playing original untouched inside Champs and Vibro Champs. Rember they tend to have the the 6V6 cathode resister and bypass cap real close together. Not a good idea for a long term relationship.
Double check your fuse for proper rating, maybe that'll save the power transformer when things go bad.
Of course the cap can is living on borrowed time too. . . . .

Just for the heck of it, here's a pic of the amp collection that was there. One guys Collection of what he thought were all the models of amps Fender made in 1968. (Mine is little one far right, that is a 1969 model) He brought them all in Sunday to sell to GC. He only had one guitar, a Fender Bronco with one slant single coil in the bridge. He sold that to them too...
View attachment 458088

Click to expand...

Wow!

Just out of curiousity... isn't a Bronco Amp the same as a Vibro Champ? Could you have maybe saved $150?